1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates in general to roller skates and more particularly to a pneumatic shock absorbing system to cushion the skater from wheel shock.
In most instances roller skates are assembled as a substantially rigid unit having no springs or shock absorbing means between the trucks and the sole plate. An effort to deal with this problem has resulted in making the truck wheels from materials having various degrees of resiliency. The unresolved drawback in this method is that in order to get a good shock absorbing material it is too soft to sustain its configuration.
Therefore just as the demand for improvement brought the wagon and motor vehicle, which started with their bodies attached directly to the wheel axle, to the smooth ride they deliver today, so should these improvements be desirable and available for roller skates.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,966, Rohdiek, teaches the use of an inflated balloon contained in an open chamber under the skaters heel. However, the effectiveness of this is dependent on the fit of the skate to the back of the shoe counter and the front of the heel.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,021,142, Freeman, teaches the use of a pneumatic chamber combined with an internal spring attached to a shoe to act as a shock absorber when walking.